As communities around the state observed the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks yesterday, Capital Health Medical Center at Hopewell received a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and a flag that had been flown in the hospital’s honor in Kuwait.

Members of the Hopewell Valley Emergency Services Unit carried a display case containing the steel from fire trucks to the hospital’s lobby, where it will remain on display for a year.

The steel is owned by the Hopewell Valley Sept. 11 Emergency Services Memorial Committee, which received it from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2011 after a lengthy application process.

“There’s a process to get all of the artifacts from the World Trade Center,” committee chairman Michael Chipowsky said. “Here in Hopewell, we were fortunate enough to have this awarded. We had the case built, and we’ve had it on display at multiple public buildings.”

Chipowsky said it made sense to bring the steel to Capital Health.

“This is a medical facility, and obviously the medical field was deeply involved with Sept. 11,” Chipowsky said. “There were some people from our area that actually responded that day — police officers, firefighters, EMTs and citizens.”

Additional military and medical personnel from the region have volunteered with overseas conflicts fought since 9/11.

One such volunteer was Dr. Michael Kelly, a surgeon at Capital Health.

Kelly completed a 90-day tour as a general and trauma surgeon in Kuwait this summer, performing more than 100 surgeries, he said.

While in Kuwait, Kelly stayed at a military base that conducted an overhead flag ceremony every night. He purchased an American flag to be flown in Capital Health’s honor.

“There are about 6,000 servicemen at the base, and every night they stand at attention and salute,” Kelly said. “They flew (a flag) on July 3 in honor of Capital Health employees.”

Calling the flag “important to us,” Capital Health CEO Al Maghazehe said hospital staff will find a suitable place to display the folded, framed flag in the days to come.

After the brief ceremony, nurses, doctors, and patients drifting through the lobby stopped to pay their respects and take cell phone pictures of the steel.

Carrie Puca of Bordentown came to the hospital for a morning procedure and stayed for the ceremony.

“It was very touching,” Puca said. “I was very glad they took the measures to do something locally.”

Puca said the shock of 9/11 still reverberates with her today, particularly because she comes from a military family. She said she planned to rewatch some of the footage of the attacks on television.

“It’s hard to watch, but you’re drawn to it because it’s part of your history,” Puca said. “You want to remember.”